Five fab Irish lake escapes for summer 2021

Going inland has never been more…in!

Lakeside Hotel waterfront evening lights

As Ireland’s coasts remain our number one staycation go-to, we’re becoming increasingly keen as travel consumers to angle alternative options for our holiday. And if we weren't blessed with such a spectacular coastline here in Ireland, we’d surely be veering beyond the seaboards in our holidaying habits. Journey inland towards our so-called 'Hidden Heartlands' and you’ll discover some of the most unspoiled waterways in Europe to find your freshwater fix — just ask the legions of Germans, Swiss and Dutch who (used to) throng here each year. But now, from the Shannon region to the Fermanagh Lakelands, Ireland’s blissful blueways are starting to glimmer for the home market too. Could an Irish lakecation be the top location for a staycation?

“Do you know that feeling you have when you wake up after a snowfall, and the landscape is white, undisturbed, and you are the first to leave footprints? Well, that's it! That's pretty much the feeling you get when you visit Ireland's lakelands!” explains Sinead Calahan, marketing officer of Discover Lough Derg.